Entries in Gymnastics
(7)

One of the things we don't do often enough is say thanks. Thanks to loved-ones, friends, and even complete strangers. And for those of us with kids who play sports, one of the most important "thank-you's" is reserved for those who coach our youngsters.

And even if you do, as you should, take a moment at the end of the season to shake their and thank them for their efforts, how cool would it be to send them a card to let them know you really appreciate what they do?

We know. Sounds like a hassle. And what kind of sappy card will you find at the store anyway. And you'll look like a putz sending it, right? Well not if you use Greeting Card Universe. Check out these cards for basketball coaches. They are classy, elegant, topical, appropriate and would make the day of any volunteer or professional coach. Amazingly, Greeting Card Universe will let you customize the inside of the card and mail it for you all for around five bucks - total. You can go online choose your card, order through their secure site and in less than two minutes you go on about your day knowing you're about to make someone else's.

They have cards for soccer, football, baseball, cheerleading and 24 other sports...in other words, whichever sport your child plays. So there is no excuse, now that you know, to not show you care. It may seem like a small thing, but in today's world of texts and emails, getting a real card in the mail is all the more special. You can make it seem like you put in a lot of effort, without lifting more than a couple fingers. And for those coaches who really did put out a ton of effort, isn't that the least we can do?

You're a high school baseball coach. You have a pitcher who has thrown close to 100 pitches in the fourth inning and it's time to take him out. He tips his cap to the appreciative crowd as he strides into the dugout, his day over. Now it's time for him to ice that shoulder and elbow to facilitate healing and prevent soreness and injury.

Except, wait. There's no ice. The field is so far away from the school no one thinks to bring a cooler full of ice to the diamond. Now, your pitcher must wait another few innings, maybe more if the game goes extras, and he has to stay around after the game to help rake the mound and do other field maintenance. By the time he gets home and ices his arm, (if he even does at all), its hours since he threw his first pitch.

Pro Ice is a proven, non-toxic pain reliver for acute injuries, It also is a great preventative for people who have overused their arms – like pitchers.

Simply place this reusable cold pack around the shoulder and elbow. The windowpane format will conform to the body and the compression straps will boost the benefits of the cold therapy unit. The single ice insert will maintain a consistent temperature for an hour. Coaches can keep it and other wraps in a convenient, freezer-friendly neoprene cooler and simply store it in their freezer at home or at the school, then grab it along on the way to the field before the game. The wrap stays cold, out of the way, and easy to access and wear.

Every coach, high school and college, baseball, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, field hockey and nearly any others you can think of, needs Pro Ice. You'll use no water, no plastic wrap, you won't have to lug a cooler anywhere and, most importantly, you'll be sure to have ice available if there is an injury or any muscle stress. This is one cold, you'll want to catch.

So you're a high school or college coach. Or, worse for you, you're a parent of a high school or college athlete and you've been conscribed to head up the team's fundraising efforts. Your baseball, lacrosse, field hockey, soccer (etc.) team needs to raise money for travel, equipment, coaches stipends...the list goes on and on. Unless you're one of the top 100 D1 schools in the nation, that budget from the school doesn't go very far.

So what are your choices? You can hold events, try to sell items, beg for donations, or sell expensive spirit wear. Some of these options may have worked in the past but here is an idea whose time has come. There's a way for you to raise money without going out and selling things and collecting money, without doing any of the unpleasant and/or time-consuming activities mentioned above.

Eteamprograms is a revolutionary fundraising idea you need to try. They create programs (think roster, photos, schedule and more) that are attractive souvenirs parents, players and family will treasure. What's so unique about a program book you may ask? Well, as the name implies, these program books are electronic which provides two key advantages. One, there is no risk to you to have them make a program for your team. If they were going to physically print your programs there would be minimum orders and inventory for you to try to unload, all of which means there's a chance you could actually lose money. But since eteamprograms are electronic, there is no set number to buy...in fact you don't buy anything at all...they do the program for free. The other advantage is that an eteamprogram can be accessed on a computer or mobile device which means parents in the stands who want to know who number 23 is can easily access the information any time.

How does it turn into a fundraiser, you ask? This is the best part. Eteamprograms will provide you with a forum to have your team's parents, grandparents, local businesses, anyone really, go onto to a custom page they build for you and order shout-out or business ads at a reasonable cost. Eteamprogram keeps a small portion of the funds they collect to cover their costs and sends the rest to you. You don't have to do anything except promote the progam.

When you're planning your next season, plan to make a little money the easy way. You're too busy to be trying to dig up money. Eteamprograms doesn't mind doing it for you.

Eighteen months ago we did a review of Pro Ice, a product we loved so much it made our 2012 Product of the Year list. With four athletic kids who are always getting dinged up, we use it in our personal lives all the time.

What makes Pro Ice so special and unique is that there is no water melting, no mess; all of the cold comes from the dozens of small pockets nestled inside a cozy, comfortable, compression wrap that maintains a constant temperature and creates a more thorough, longer-lasting cold experience.

When my soccer-playing daughter came up hobbling from a bad ankle, I noticed that the larger wraps we had did not fit perfectly around her foot. The good folks at Pro Ice wanted us to fall in love with the product all over again so they kindly sent not only ankle wraps (pictured), but another full cooler with wraps to take care of backs, knees, elbows – you name it. She loves the ankle ice and uses it if she's having pain, but also therapeutically after practices and games, even if it doesn't hurt.

What I don't understand is why every high school and college doesn't have these cooler packs on hand for each sport. My son just finished his high school baseball season. On their team and, on nearly every high school and travel team anywhere, whenever a kid at bat jumps out of the way of a pitched ball instead of “taking one for the team," the guys in the dugout yell out with derisive humor, “We got ice.”

Well, no they didn't. There was no cooler of ice in the dugout. What this means is that if someone were to twist an ankle, get hit by a ball, anything that would call for immediate ice treatment, there was nothing available. I guess in an emergency they could try to trek to the school, find a container and an ice machine and lug it back, but that never happened. And pitchers? Shouldn't all of them ice their arms after every outing? Our pitchers didn't have access.

All a team would need is a Pro Ice Cooler, two or three of their pitchers shoulder wraps and 2-3 of the basic wraps that work on elbows, knees, backs, and even rap around those ribs that get plunked by a fastball. Simply put it in a freezer a few hours before a game and then bring it to the field each game and practice. No need to waste gallons of water, lug a huge cooler filled with heavy, wet ice. Pro Ice is the obvious solution not only for baseball but for football, soccer, lacrosse, - you name it.

We love spreading the Pro Ice gospel, because we love the product. If you're skeptical, just start with one of their wraps. Stick it in the freezer for a few hours then take it out and wrap it around what hurts. You'll be sold within minutes of feeling that cooling relief.

An odd and unexpected by-product of my sons playing high school football is that I have a whole new respect for cheerleaders. These girls do more than just memorize chants and choreographed routines, many are serious athletes who work hard on their craft. Beyond the stunts and flying, if you’ve ever watched them fire off a back handspring into four whips across the track, sticking the landing perfectly, you know years of practice has gone into those skills.

There’s a company that has devoted itself to ensuring that tumblers and gymnasts have a way to rapidly improve performance, safely, with state-of-the-art training aids. Tumbl Trak (www.tumbltrak.com) has developed a line of products designed to increase confidence and reduce injury as gymnasts learn and perfect their craft. The original Tumbl Trak (pictured), is a soft, padded runway, which was created to allow athletes to work on progressions with a minimal amount of spotting. Gymnasts and coaches alike understand the importance of a long tumbling surface with an open end. Tumbl Trak now has a full line of accessories, such as their “Bungee Block,” which increases the push needed from the gymnast to complete the second back handspring.

Getting up the courage to fly through the air backwards over hard asphalt can’t be easy. Actually performing the maneuver with crisp precision must be even more difficult. But knowing there’s a product like the Tumble Trak makes it a little easier to grasp how one might get from the point of that first-ever flip to the polished precision I’ve admired from the stands on Friday nights.